Past, Present, Never
by dizappearingirl
Summary: "Let's play a game," Pitch said to Bunny. "A guessing game...I will name a fear and you will tell me whether it is a past fear, a present fear, or has never been a fear for Jack. You guess correctly and I'll call my night mares off for one hour...Ready?"
1. You Are Blind

**Dizgirl: Hey everyone!**

 **I'd like to start by giving you fair warning: this story is unfinished and there's a very good chance I will never finish it. At best, I won't be able to finish it for a couple of years. I will post what I have, which is about twelve chapters, and then we'll see if I just let it sit in hiatus or, I dunno, maybe let someone try continuing it if they want... (shrugs). ****I hope that doesn't scare you away but just wanted you to be aware.**

 **On to the fun stuff. I'm rather excited to see what y'all think of this story line and the theme running throughout. This story kinda came out of nowhere and I can't even say I know completely where it's going. I usually plan my stories out in great detail but this was one of my first attempts to just "pants" it and it was an interesting experience :) Hope you enjoy and love!**

 **(For my dear DP readers, I promise you I WILL finish Because of Him. I WILL.) And as for my disclaimer, see my profile.**

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Chapter 1: You Are Blind

 _ **PRESENT**_

The moment consciousness returned to him, Bunny knew something was very wrong. His mind was in a fog, body heavy in an uncomfortable way, and he didn't know where he was, but he knew that something was wrong. In fact, that was exactly why he knew because there shouldn't be any reason for him to feel this horrible if he had been sleeping at home. Where was he? What had happened?

He tried to move his arms, hissing as a sharp pain raced up his limbs and down his spine with the small movement. The pain spread in a prickling sweep that notified him that his arms had fallen asleep while he was out, making every inch of his skin buzz with the sensation of pins and needles. Grimacing, he tried once more to move them and felt something hard holding his wrists together. With another tug he confirmed that something was clasped around both wrists, keeping his arms twisted behind his back.

As feeling returned to his arms they throbbed. His head also ached and was pulsing in tempo with them. He bit back a groan, not yet sure he was in a safe enough position to make a noise. The only thing that didn't seem to be screaming at him was his legs, though he did feel bruises on both of them. Whatever had happened to him had put his body through the works. Deciding he had gathered as much as he could from what he could feel, Bunny opened his eyes.

Darkness met his gaze. His eyes wandered in all directions, searching for any semblance of light that could give him something to work with, but he found nothing. Everything around him was black…pitch black. Clenching his teeth together, Bunny felt a wave of anger roll through him. Pitch. This had his name written all over it.

Actually… memories bombarded him, swirling through his mind and clicking into place. It _was_ Pitch. He knew that. He remembered what had happened. He remembered the fight, the waves of black sand, the whinny of his night mares, Pitch's oily smile, and a heavy blow to his head that had knocked him down and apparently out. He had lost…and he had been taken.

Bunny was currently lying down on his side, his right cheek and shoulder pressed against cold stone. He pushed against the ground, trying to at least get himself into a sitting position. His arms protested and head continued to pound, but he ignored this as he worked on the difficult task. Finally, after much quiet groaning he was sitting with his arms still tied behind him.

They felt like they were being held by manacles that were chained to the floor, based on the tight unforgiving feel of whatever was around his wrists and the faint rattle of something being dragged across the ground behind his back. He paused for a moment once he was upright and then, once the ache in his body had subsided, tested out the chain. He pulled sharply on it, jerking forward about two feet before it snapped tight, cutting into his wrists. Grimacing, he pulled once more to double check. Only a few feet long, just enough for him to stand while still attached. And the material it was made of was strong. He could not break it.

Bunny settled back onto the ground, closer to where the chain was anchored and looked around once more, his green eyes staring unseeing in all directions. Strange, even if the room was completely dark he should be able to see _some_ thing considering what he was—vague shapes at least—but instead blackness met his gaze in all directions. This was no ordinary darkness that surrounded him. A small trickle of anxiety ran down his back. He was trapped, injured, and couldn't see. This was not good.

"Finally come to terms with your situation, Bunny?" a familiar voice echoed out from above him.

His lips curled in disgust. "Pitch!"

"Oh good, you know who I am," came the sardonic reply. "Perhaps I overestimated your ability to put the pieces together…"

Bunny's eyes narrowed, scanning around him for any sign of where Pitch stood. The way his voice echoed gave him the impression that it was from above him and to his left, but he had no way of confirming that. He at least knew that the ceiling was several stories tall based on the sound, but that was the extent of what he could gather.

"Where am I?" he growled.

"Is the darkness too much for you?" The voice had moved, coming from behind him now. Bunny whirled around, the chain holding his arms clinking against the stone, eyes swinging back and forth blindly.

"This isn't just darkness," Bunny replied.

There was the hollow sound of one person clapping. "Good eyes," Pitch said, his tone mocking. "Or should I say, they once were."

Bunny's face twisted into one of confusion. "Whaddya mean?"

There was a moment of silence and then Pitch spoke again, his voice much louder and much closer than before. Bunny was sure the Nightmare King was now only a few feet in front of him.

"Do you know why people fear the dark?" the man purred. "People fear it because it makes everything an unknown. It robs them of their knowledge and therefore their ability to react in a reasonable manner."

A chilling breath wafted across the back of Bunny's neck and he jerked violently away from Pitch who suddenly stood behind him. "It makes them vulnerable," he whispered, his voice reverberating around them.

Bunny snarled and shoved himself in Pitch's direction in an attempt to knock him down. He was met with nothing and his momentum sent him crashing to the ground. Pitch's quiet chuckle bounced around him as he grimaced against the pain now radiating from his shoulder.

"You are blind, Bunny," Pitch told him smugly. "Fear has blinded you and you are now at my mercy."

Bunny pushed himself back up onto his knees, clenching his jaw against the continued protests of his body. "What fear are you talking about?" he scoffed. "I'm not afraid."

"Oh, well, we know that isn't true…" Pitch drawled. "Yes, you may not be afraid of me, but even the big bad Easter Bunny is afraid of something. Many things, actually." His voice circled around Bunny who kept his eyes and ears focused in the direction of the man's voice as best he could from his position on the ground.

"And can you honestly tell me you don't feel even an inkling of fear at this moment? Because we both know that is a lie…" Pitch stopped in front of Bunny, far enough away as far as Bunny could tell that he could not reach him. "You're blind," the man continued in a pleased tone, "trapped, alone, and so very far away from your fellow guardians."

Bunny let out a laugh. "You think just because I can't see and I'm alone that I can't still kick your sorry behind into the next century?"

Pitch chuckled in return. "I don't have to think that, I _know_ you can't. And whatever bravado you may claim, you know it too. How can you do anything while tied up as you are and blind to everything around you?" Pitch asked. Bunny frowned but before he could formulate a reply, Pitch continued.

"But I wasn't talking about _your_ fear. I can agree with you on that at least. The fear that you have has its merit, but it's not nearly as powerful as the fear I used to rob you of your sight. For fear to be able to blind a person, it needs to be particularly potent and fear like that can only come from a _child_."

Bunny shifted slightly, his eyes narrowing in thought. Fear that could blind? Did he mean literally? Bunny blinked several times, his vision never changing. He had assumed they were in a place with no light, that Pitch was being figurative. Did he really mean he had used some sort of power on him to blind him?! Was it permanent? When had the Nightmare King gained a power like that? He had never seen him use something like this before. And what did he mean fear from a child?

"You've never blinded us before," Bunny said as steadily as he could, swallowing back a growing panic at the idea of not being able to see again to focus on getting as much information as he could. "When did you learn that little trick?"

"You may not have realized it, but I've had this 'trick' up my sleeve for years," Pitch answered, his voice moving further away, but staying in front of Bunny. "Children have feared the dark for centuries for good reason. There have been times, when their fear was strong enough, that I have been able to render them helplessly and terrifyingly blind."

Bunny could hear Pitch settle down onto something before he added, "I never left them that way… _often_ , but I did use it. You and the others were always so caught up in rescuing your dear little children from my nightmare men and beasts that you always did miss the finer details of my craft…I wonder how many children suffered without you even realizing it."

Balling his paws into fists, Bunny did his best to not rise to the bait. He needed more information and to do so he had to remain calm. "So you can blind a person if they're afraid enough?"

"If a _child_ is afraid enough, I can use that fear against anyone," Pitch corrected.

"Then why haven't you used this on us before?" Bunny questioned. "You scare children all the time!"

"You are not listening very closely," Pitch teased, his voice almost sing-song, "but what else can I expect from one of the 'Big Four'? Hm, I suppose I should say Five now…." He trailed off for a moment before adding, "And that brings me to my point. A child must feel a fear so deep and so rich as to blind them with panic and, in turn, I can use the power gained from it to blind others."

There was a rustling sound before Pitch continued. "Normally I wouldn't bother to try and explain this to you; I hardly have the patience. But this will make my point all the sweeter, because you still haven't caught on. You still don't remember."

"Remember what?" Bunny glared in the man's direction as he felt apprehension sink into his chest. He wouldn't say it, but he knew he was right. He was forgetting something. It had been nagging at him for a while, but he had been too focused on their conversation to figure out why.

"Why you are here in the first place. Why you attacked me. What brought you into my possession," Pitch replied in a tone that suggested this was obvious. "And why I didn't say 'children' when I was so patiently explaining what I had done, but ' _child_.'"

Bunny's ears fell back against his head as he attempted to remember what Pitch was hinting at. The nagging feeling was growing and Bunny felt it mix with dread as suddenly he started to recall what had happened before the fight with Pitch, what had brought him to that forest that day. Or should he say, who…

"Jack."


	2. Tell Me About Nothing

**Dizgirl: Thank you for the reviews, favorites, and follows! I'm glad you are interested! :3 There's not much to say other than to pay attention to the word below the chapter titles. They'll help you keep track of the chronology of the story since we'll be jumping around the timeline a bit.**

 **Hope you enjoy and love!**

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Chapter 2: Tell Me About Nothing  
  
 _ **PAST**_

"Hey, Frostbite."

Jack looked up at him from under his hood, smiled briefly, and replied, "Hey Cottontail. What're you doing here?"

Bunny jerked a thumb in the direction of North's office. "Had to talk to North about something. What're you doing hanging around here?"

Jack shrugged, his eyes drawn back to the globe that circled in the center of the workshop. He was lounging on the railing that stood between the room they were in and the open space surrounding the spinning orb, looking perfectly relaxed, but Bunny had learned over the last few years that when the hood was up, it generally meant something was bothering the winter spirit. He debated internally if he should ask or let the boy figure things out on his own, but before he could speak Jack did.

"North's sleeping, you know," he told Bunny causally. His head nodded in the direction of the windows behind Bunny, which showed the white expanse of the arctic under a clear, starry sky and crescent moon.

Bunny ran a paw over his ears and shrugged as well. "Yeah, I realized it was night here after I came, but I thought I'd check to see if he was awake." Jack nodded, once again returning his gaze to the globe. "Guess I'll have to come back later," Bunny said.

"Yeah."

Bunny studied the boy. He was unusually subdued and, despite his calm appearance, there seemed to be something almost tense about the casual way he was sitting. What had brought on this mood? "What have ya been up to lately?"

Jack twisted his legs around so they now were swinging over the railing. "Nothing much. Still too early for snow in the north so I've just been hanging."

"Ready for winter to start?"

"Definitely," Jack glanced his way with a grin. It was then, as the lights above swept over the boy's face that Bunny caught what he was missing. Jack looked terrible. There were dark circles under both his eyes and his skin seemed pinched and paler than normal. And his eyes, his eyes didn't smile with his mouth but instead looked distant and dim.

Concern welled up inside him and Bunny instantly tried to suppress it from showing on his face. Any hint of that could drive Jack right out a window. He had to remain just as casual and light if he really wanted to get anywhere with the boy. He moved forward next to Jack and leaned on the railing.

"What do you normally do during autumn?"

Jack shrugged again. "Like I said, nothing much."

"That doesn't sound like you," Bunny commented. His eyes also watched the globe in its slow spin.

"I could make the Warren a winter wonderland," Jack suggested. Bunny made a face that he must have seen because he added teasingly, "It'll thaw…by Easter."

"No way, mate."

Jack gave a breathy chuckle. "You're the one that seems to want me to do something."

"You're just really mellow. Made me wonder what brought it on," Bunny replied. "Are you sick?"

"Naw," Jack shook his head. "I'm fine."

Bunny eyed him. "You sure?"

Jack looked over at him with a smile but seeing Bunny's serious expression he quickly looked away. "Yeah. Totally fine."

"Doesn't seem like it to me," Bunny pressed.

"Then maybe you should get your eyes checked," Jack said. "Are you eating enough carrots to keep up your vision?"

With a scowl, Bunny reached up and pulled down Jack's hood, revealing the shadows under his eyes and peaky appearance. "Mind explaining why you look like this, then?"

There was a flicker of apprehension in Jack's eyes now, despite the crooked smile stretching across his face. He was definitely hiding something. "Look like what? I don't normally stare at myself in a mirror, you know."

"Then maybe you should because you look like the walking dead," Bunny retorted.

Jack gave a snort. "You don't know how ironic that is."

"Come on, Frostbite," Bunny persisted, not letting the winter spirit sidetrack him. "What's wrong?"

Jack seemed to be trying to keep his expression amused but the smile was faltering. As Bunny continued to pin him with a serious look, the smile left completely. It was replaced by trepidation and Jack began to fiddle with his staff, his eyes falling into his lap. "It's nothing," he muttered finally.

"Then tell me about nothing."

Jack's eyes snapped back up to his, a flash of frustration crossing his face, before they dropped back down. "I…I'm just not sleeping well," he admitted. He looked up once more. "But it's not that big a deal. I've always had some problems sleeping—insomnia is what they call it, right? I'll get over it. I always do."

Bunny tilted his head to the side. "You could always ask Sandy to help," he reminded the boy. "Knowing him, he'd jump at the opportunity. You know how he is about a good night's sleep."

"Yeah…" Jack was staring out at the globe again, "but Sandy's busy with all the kids. I don't need to take him away from that just for a few bad nights."

"He wouldn't mind," Bunny disagreed. "Like I said, he'd be happy—ridiculously happy actually."

Jack pressed his lips together and shrugged, and Bunny couldn't help but wonder if there was more to it than just difficulty sleeping. Out of all the guardians, Jack seemed to be most comfortable with Sandy so he shouldn't need much persuasion to talk to the Guardian of Dreams. Was he really worried about distracting Sandy from his duties? But he should know that it only takes the golden man a second to knock someone out.

"Insomnia, huh?" Bunny wondered aloud. No, it couldn't just be insomnia—why would Jack feel the need to hide it? And he looked much worse than someone who had lost a few nights' rest. And it wasn't about interrupting Sandy. There had to be something more going on and if Jack wasn't going to be forward about it then Bunny would just need to find a way to force it out. Maybe…

"You must be pretty tired then," he said, keeping his tone light. "If you want, I can go get Sandy and bring him here for you—or maybe he can just send some sand this way."

Jack's eyes darted over to him and away just as quickly. "No, that's fine," he replied hastily. Swallowing, he added in a casual way, "I'm tired, but not that much. I'm sure once I just wear myself out a bit, I'll be able to sleep. No need to get Sandy after me."

"You sure?" Bunny watched the boy closely, noting that he had tensed up again. "Won't be a problem for me, mate. I think he's down somewhere warmer than here right now so I don'tmind." That wasn't true; he had no idea where Sandy was, but it seemed to be getting him the result he wanted.

"It's fine," Jack repeated firmly. "I'm fine."

Bunny eyed him for a moment longer and then turned towards the hallway. "I think I will. You need some rest so I'll just go get him."

"No, Bunny!" Jack jumped off the railing and slipped in front of him, his eyes wide, standing out even more against the dark circles that ringed them. "Don't do that. You don't need to do that."

"Why not? We Guardians help each other out when we need it. None of us mind."

"Really, you don't. I don't need Sandy to make me sleep," Jack pressed his hands against Bunny's chest as if to stop him from walking, but he wasn't trying very hard as far as Bunny could tell.

Bunny grabbed Jack's wrists and twisted around him so he could keep going. "I'll be right back."

"No, Bunny! Stop!" Jack grabbed onto his arm. "I don't _want_ to sleep!" That last comment made Bunny pause and look back at Jack, who was clearly upset he had said that. Bunny turned back around.

"Why don't you want to sleep?" An expression flashed across Jack's face, his eyes wide and lips pressed tightly together. His hand then flew up and threw his hood over his head. He spun around and moved swiftly over to where he had left his staff leaning against the railing. "Frostbite?"

Jack did not stop and Bunny could see he was panicking, even if he was trying to keep it in control. He leaped forward as Jack reached for the piece of wood, his paw wrapping over it just before Jack's pale fingers could and jerking it away. The boy whirled to face him, anger making his eyes hard.

"Give it back!"

"Why don't you want to sleep?" Bunny repeated, holding the staff up out of reach as Jack made a swipe for it.

"I just don't!" Jack snapped back, jumping for the staff again. Bunny reviewed everything that the winter spirit had said and done in the last few minutes. The wide eyes, the panic, the evasiveness...

"Are you _afraid_ to go to sleep?"

Jack stopped his attempts and glared at him, his hands in fists. "Give me back my staff!"

That was answer enough for Bunny. "Why are you afraid?"

"Give it back!" Jack demanded again.

"I will if you'll tell me what's wrong," Bunny countered.

Jack's glower deepened and then dropped to the floor. He stared at the ground, his fingers curling in and out. Finally, he said in a quiet and very controlled voice, "I'm having nightmares."

Bunny's eyebrows flew up in surprise. "Nightmares?" He almost wanted to add, 'that's it?' But he held the words back. Not that he didn't take nightmares seriously—they were the weapon of choice of their archenemy—but having bad dreams couldn't be…Bunny's mind jumped tracks. The weapon of their archenemy…

"Do you think Pitch is behind this?" Bunny asked him. Jack refused to meet his eyes and his hood kept Bunny from seeing his face. "Jack? Do you think it's Pitch?"

Jack shrugged, the movement jerky and stiff. "I don't know. I don't care. I've had plenty of nightmares in the past so it shouldn't be a big deal. I'll get over it."

"But if Pitch is behind it—"

"—I haven't seen him, or heard him, or seen any of his mares, or whatever," Jack interrupted him, his voice low and full of frustration. "I already thought of it but I haven't seen him around so I have no idea." He rubbed his hood-covered head before letting the hand drop back down. "It could just be me. I could just be having bad dreams. Like I said, it's not exactly _new_ , me having bad dreams."

Bunny frowned, not liking the idea that bad dreams were a normal issue for Jack to face. Why wasn't Sandy aware of that? Or had Jack avoided Sandy before? Well, he'd have to figure that mystery out later. For now, he needed to address the issue at hand. "How long have you been having nightmares?"

"Like I said—"

"—Not in the past," Bunny cut him off. " _Now_. When did you start having nightmares? 'Cause you didn't look like this a month ago, a year ago, or when you first became a Guardian. This is recent."

"I dunno," Jack fidgeted, his eyes frequently jumping up to his staff. "A couple weeks?"

Bunny's eyebrows rose again. "And ya didn't think once that you could've come to us or Sandy for help?"

Jack shrugged once more, his words tumbling out in a halting manner. "Normally I can just get over them after a while. I didn't need you guys all panicking— _like you are now_ —just 'cause I'm not sleeping well. They're just nightmares."

The way the boy's tone hitched right at the end caught Bunny's attention. It had been several years since Jack had joined the Guardians and Bunny was proud to say he was starting to catch when Jack was lying. The kid was good at it, but he had his tells. That last sentence was a lie. He studied the boy for a moment, trying to figure out how to help him. Jack wouldn't accept help willingly. If he was going to figure out what was going on, he would need to see it in action.

"Okay, Frostbite," he said, lowering the staff from above his head. "I'm gonna give this back to you, but on one condition. Jack hands had instantly reached for the staff and Bunny pulled it back, giving the boy a look.

"What condition?" Jack asked tersely.

"You try to get some sleep tonight. Here. With me." Jack's nose scrunched up in obvious disagreement and Bunny added, "Just try it. Lay down on a couch or bed, I'll stay up, and if Pitch is sending anything your way, I'll see it and take it down. You'll have two other Guardians here and a whole hoard of Yetis. There's a good chance you won't even have a nightmare at all. How's that sound?"

Jack was still frowning, but after a few moments he gave a jerky nod. "Fine."


	3. Let's Play a Game

**Dizgirl: Thank you everyone for your thoughts and positive feedback! :) You are awesome! Someone pointed out that the time jump between chapter 1 and 2 wasn't very clear. I tried to adjust the formatting a bit to make the timing easier to see but isn't liking it much :/ Sorry for the confusion and thanks for the input.**

 **Enjoy and love!**

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Chapter 3: Let's Play a Game

 _ **PRESENT**_

"What did you do with Jack?!" Bunny demanded, jumping to his feet. "Where is he?"

"I honestly have no idea," Pitch replied casually. "I was not trying to take your dear new Guardian when you came after me."

"You were standing right over him!"

"So I was," Pitch's voice remained perfectly indifferent. "But the fact remains, I was not trying to take him."

Bunny's eyes narrowed in confusion. "Why not? You were the one giving him his nightmares."

"Correction, I _am_ giving him nightmares."

Bunny glared in the direction of his voice at this piece of news. "Ya better cut it out right now or—"

"—or you'll what?" Pitch's voice grew closer. "Scowl at me? You have no way of escaping at the moment, Bunny. No way of attacking. No way of doing anything. And if you or the Guardians try," Pitch paused and Bunny felt something rush past him, making a soft rustling, hissing sound. A quiet whinny followed and he recognized what it was. Pitch continued, "Well if I'm not able to rein in my night mares, there's no telling what they'll do to the newest member of your little group."

Bunny gritted his teeth. The truth was he couldn't do anything and, though the Guardians were aware of the nightmares, they had no idea to what extent. Hopefully Sandy was forcing the issue and Jack was being open about it, but knowing the winter spirit the second was probably not the case. He was the only one who knew and now he was stuck here, blind and helpless. His head sunk down.

"Though I do love to see all of you Guardians miserable," Pitch spoke again, his smug tone reflecting his words, "it wouldn't be very _fun_ to just let you sit here and wallow." Bunny raised his head, eyeing the spot from where the man's smooth voice came.

"I am willing to give you one way to help poor little Jack," Pitch offered. "Let's play a game, a guessing game. As you well know, I know all of Jack's fears. Every fear that has haunted him in the past and every fear that still eats at him right now." The hungry tone that seeped into his words at this point made Bunny shudder.

"I wonder, though," the Nightmare King continued, "do you? It's obvious you and others have become fond of him, but I wonder do you really even know him after all these years?"

"'Course we do," Bunny replied instantly.

"Really?" Pitch asked in a way that made it obvious he didn't agree.

Bunny sent him another glower, but he knew that his rash statement wasn't a hundred percent accurate. "We're getting there," he amended.

"Getting there…" Pitch began moving again, circling around Bunny towards his left. "Well, let's test that shall we? Let's play my guessing game. I will name a fear and you will tell me whether Jack has it or not." He was behind Bunny now and he twisted his head to continue to face Pitch, listening intently. "More accurately: you will tell me if it is a past fear, a present fear, or has never been a fear for him. Ready?"

Bunny reviewed the offer, wondering whether this could possibly work in his favor. He liked to think he knew Jack well enough to do this, but he couldn't help but admit that it wouldn't be easy to name his fears. Who really sat down and discussed those kinds of things on a normal day? And how was this supposed to help Jack anyway?

"We'll start with an easy one," Pitch said, obviously tired of waiting for a response. "Number one: fear of being walked through."

This had to be just Pitch's way of messing with him. There was no way talking about Jack's fears was going to help him now. Bunny needed to focus on how to get out of here, not entertaining his captor.

"Past? Present? Never?" Pitch pressed, his voice now coming from in front again. Bunny glared at him. "Come now, Aster," the man said in a teasing tone, "don't you want to play?"

"I'm not going to play yer stupid game," Bunny snapped.

"Afraid you don't know the answers?" Pitch chuckled and added, "Like I have to ask that…"

"There's no reason for me _to_ play!"

"Oh, there's all the reason in the world," Pitch disagreed, "because I'm going to strike you a deal. You guess correctly and I'll call my night mares off for one hour."

Bunny's glare dropped in surprise. So this really could help Jack. But for only an hour? No, that wasn't enough. Bunny needed to give Jack and the others more time. "A day—I guess right you call your monsters off of him for a day," he bargained.

"No, I can't give you quite that much," Pitch returned. "A whole day? With as many fears as Jack has? I don't think so."

"Half a day," Bunny said quickly.

"Quarter," Pitch countered. "A quarter of a day: six hours."

Knowing that was probably as good as he was going to get, Bunny replied, "Fine." His mind went back to the first question. Fear of being walked through—meaning fear of not being believed in. "Past. Not being walked through is a past fear for him."

Bunny could almost hear the smile in Pitch's voice. "Wrong."

He growled. "This game is pointless if you're just going to say I'm wrong about everything!"

"I've only asked you one question and you happened to be wrong. Don't become defensive just because you don't know your little winter spirit so well," Pitch said condescendingly.

"He can't be afraid of that anymore," Bunny argued. "Kids can see him!"

Pitch scoffed. "A handful of children in one town who began to believe because of a crisis? Yes, of course, if I suddenly had that group of brats seeing me I wouldn't worry at all about the other billions of them who still can't." Sarcasm dripped from his every word. "And I wouldn't worry at all that these children, with their easily distracted minds, wouldn't forget about me the next day, rendering me intangible once more. Not at all. Honestly, Bunny, I expected better."

Bunny felt a burning sweep of embarrassment run over him. Okay, that technically made sense. But Jack had to know he would get more believers, right? They wouldn't let him fade away. With a sigh, he shoved that thought back for later introspection. "Fine then, next question."

"Number two: fear of heights."

He opened his mouth, positive of his answer, but then paused. He had to make sure Pitch wouldn't pull any tricks on him. Could that have possibly been a fear in Jack's past? Bunny shook his head minutely. No. "Never. Frostbite's never been afraid of heights a day since he became Jack Frost."

He waited for the answer and Pitch replied emotionlessly, "Correct. Lucky Jack. Six hours of peace. Now, number three: fear of wolves."

Bunny raised an eyebrow. Pitch was certainly giving him an interesting mix of fears. The first two made relative sense at least, but wolves? Would Jack have ever really had an encounter with them? Then again, the kid had been living on his own, running wild, for centuries. And he was partial to the forest that surrounded Burgess. The chances of him running into wolves were actually pretty good. So then, did he fear them? Bunny couldn't imagine that he did, but he had been rash before and he needed to be careful. Every right answer gave Jack some relief. Every wrong, more torture.

"I'm waiting for my answer, Bunny…"

Bunny gave a look towards Pitch. "Hold yer horses, I'm thinking."

"And here I thought you said you knew Jack so well," Pitch taunted. "I am starting to think that maybe you don't know him at all."

"How am I supposed to know everything that might have happened to him in the last three hundred years?"

"Exactly my point." The smugness in Pitch's voice rankled him but he tried to keep his focus on the question.

Past, present, or never? The chances were good Jack had encountered them and, though he was much more powerful and they shouldn't have given him any trouble, there was always the chance Jack did have a bad experience that had left him afraid. But now? Now Bunny couldn't imagine the Jack that he knew being fearful of the beasts (as much as he himself despised anything in the canine family). So it wasn't current. Was it…

"Past?"

"Is that a question?"

"Just tell me if I got it right!" Bunny demanded.

"You are…" Pitch paused and Bunny could tell it was just to irritate him more. He held back an insult, waiting impatiently. "Correct."

Bunny sighed in relief, letting his head hang for a moment. Twelve hours of peace for Jack. Twelve hours nightmare free. "Okay, what's the next?"

"I think that will do well enough for now," Pitch was moving away, his voice turned in the other direction.

"Hey!" Bunny called after him. "Whaddya mean? That's it?"

"For now," Pitch's voice echoed across the distance. "We have eighteen hours before we need to continue the game and for the next six, I get to do my worst." His tone turned sinister and Bunny felt a chill run down his back. Yes, he had gained twelve hours for Jack, but he had gotten the first answer wrong.

"We'll speak again soon," Pitch said, his tone still laced with menace, "and the next three won't be so easy." There was the hiss of sand again and then silence fell. Bunny listened intently to confirm he was alone and once he was sure, he let himself sag to the ground.

"Sorry, Frostbite," he mumbled, memories of the screams he had already heard from the boy in the last few days echoing in him mind.


	4. What Was That?

**Dizgirl: Alrighty, chapter four! This one is short. I hadn't realized how short until I was dividing it out from the rest of the story. So, I'll work on getting chapter five up soon to make up for it :3 Enjoy and love!**

* * *

Chapter 4: What Was That?

 _ **PAST**_

Bunny was ripped from his sleep by a strangled scream that sent him flying out of the arm chair he had been slouched in and up unsteadily on his feet. He looked around the room he was in, bewildered by the furniture, wood, and red paint when he would expect to be surrounded by dirt and grass in his warren. The North Pole? What was he doing here?

The screaming continued, honing his senses towards the couch to his left. Jack was thrashing across the cushions, his limbs seeming to fight off invisible beasts, his eyes screwed shut. Bunny jumped forward as his memories flooded back to him. He was here with Jack so he could see what was causing his nightmares. He was supposed to stay awake, to watch over the winter spirit and protect him from bad dreams if possible. He obviously had failed that. Curse the fire and North's comfy furniture!

"Frostbite!" Bunny called out, trying to wake the boy. He grabbed onto one of Jack's flailing arms and then onto the other. "Wake up! It's a dream!" Yes, it was a dream, a bad dream, so where was the night mare? Was Jack right that these were just dreams of his mind's creation and not the work of Pitch?

"Jack!"

The boy's blue eyes snapped open and he let out another cry, scrambling up into a sitting position and pulling on his trapped wrists. "No! _No_!" he yelled, his eyes wide but unfocused. "Let me go!"

"It's me, Frostbite. Just me. You're fine," Bunny assured him. Jack continued to resist, attempting to get as far away from the Guardian of Hope as possible. He whined in distress, his movements disjointed and not nearly as strong as they should be. Frost began to grow along Bunny's fingers in random patterns.

"Jack, calm down," Bunny instructed, repressing a shiver. "Just calm down. You're safe. It's just me!" Jack froze, his eyes clearing up and stared straight back at Bunny. A cloud of black sand abruptly burst into life around his head and dispersed in all directions, fading before either of them could react.

"B-Bunny…" Jack mumbled, his eyes still pinned on the pooka, all color drained from his face.

"What was that?" Bunny asked, though the question wasn't really directed at Jack. What had been that cloud of sand? It looked like the black sand Pitch worked with but it hadn't been swirling above Jack's head like Sandy's dreams and it hadn't been a night mare either. It had just come… _out_ of Jack?

"Bunny…" Jack said again, this time his voice slightly stronger. Bunny's focus returned to Jack who was now trembling in his hands. With a worried frown, Bunny knelt down in front of the boy.

"It's okay," he told the boy, making his voice gentle. "It was just a dream, right?" Jack continued to stare at him, his breathing slowly calming down, though he continued to shake.

"I…I couldn't get away from them," he whispered. "I kept trying to fight but I didn't have any strength. And they were everywhere. And my staff…My staff!" His eyes darted to his sides, searching for the familiar piece of wood. Bunny let go of Jack's wrists as the boy's gaze caught sight of it and he instantly reached out to grab it. He brought it to his chest and let out a sigh, his eyes closing.

Bunny waited, not saying a word as he let Jack calm down, wondering silently who 'they' were. He didn't think it'd be a good idea to press for information right now. The boy was _scared_ —something that he had rarely seen in the past and never to this degree. He was openly afraid, sitting curled up on a couch, face as white as his element and small shivers running along his body. Where had the calm from earlier gone? Was Jack really just that good at hiding these kinds of things normally? Bunny vowed to keep a closer eye on the kid in the future.

A full minute passed before blue eyes reappeared and looked up again. "Sorry," Jack muttered.

"Nah, mate, I should apologize," Bunny replied, standing up. "I told ya I'd stay awake and I fell asleep. The fire got to me." He jerked a thumb over his shoulder at the fireplace across the room.

"I doubt you could've stopped it."

"Well, it wasn't what I thought it was," Bunny admitted. He sat down on the couch next to Jack. "But there was black sand. Did you see it?" Jack shook his head. "It was some sort of cloud or mist—except it was sand and it only appeared at the end."

Jack's expression turned contemplative, his eyes wandering away. "I don't know what that means."

"We can figure it out," Bunny said confidently. "And I still think it'd be a good idea to have Sandy in on this. He knows how this works better than anyone." Jack grimaced, but didn't argue. Taking that as an affirmative, Bunny continued, "So let's go there after you get some more sleep, alright?"

Jack's eyebrows drew together, his grip on his staff tightening. "I don't want to sleep anymore."

"You need your rest."

"I'm not getting any rest," the boy groaned, his head tilting forward to rest against the wooden stick and eyes falling shut again. "Not now, not for _weeks_."

Bunny watched him for a moment, feeling a pang of sympathy and once again the need to watch the winter spirit much closer in the future. How had he and all the Guardians missed this for that long? Well, he couldn't go back and fix that but he could make up for it now. He patted Jack on the head and said, "Okay, then let's see Sandy now."


	5. Not Jamie!

**Dizgirl: Alrighty, It sounds like I'm still confusing some people with the timeline. I have tried to make it even clearer. Let me know if you have suggestions that might work better-I don't want to confuse anyone! I'd say I would change things around but I really like how I have it, so sorry but I'm not going to stop moving around on ya. :p Like with this chapter...we're jumping into a third "time" so keep that in mind if you get a little lost. Hopefully things will make sense the further we go.**

 **Enjoy and love!**

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Chapter 5: Not Jamie!

 _ **NEVER**_

 _Jack was floating on the wind, letting it carry him high in the sky between billowing clouds of fluffy white. He looked down and studied the polka-dotted pattern of shadows the clouds made across the ground as he went. They drifted over the grass, trees, and towns he was passing by at a much slower pace and he eventually left them behind. He dropped down lower at that point, skimming over the forest growing below him. Soon, his destination loomed into view._

 _Burgess._

 _A grin stole across his face as the familiar structures rose up into his vision and he let out a whoop when he passed the first of the buildings. The wind sent him spiraling down the streets, a flurry of snow following behind him. The ground was already covered but who wouldn't want a fresh layer during this time of the year? It_ was _winter. And the snow below was looking a little gray._

 _He whirled right through the town towards his lake, a sense of expectation expanding with him. He was meeting someone today. He was looking for the children. They should be out playing in the snow and Jack was determined to join them. It was time to have some fun! He skated along the ice covering his lake and came to a stop at the edge of the trees. Where were the children?_

 _There was the sound of laughter to his left, echoing out from the trees. He followed the sound, half walking, half flying as the wind joined him. He dodged through the trunks until he could see the brightly colored jackets of his first believers. Pippa, Cupcake, Mikey, the twins…Jamie. The kids laughed as they darted through the trees, tossing snowballs at each other. Jack grinned again and let the wind lift him high up above the group._

 _Snow formed in one hand and he dived, sending his first ball at Jamie's back. The kid tumbled forward with a yelp of surprise and then a laugh. Without pausing, Jack created another snowball and sent it at Cupcake who blocked it by throwing up one of her arms._

 _Jack sent a compliment her way, but her attention was on Claude about fifteen feet away. Jack glided down and landed next to Jamie. Sorry kiddo, he said. He must have hit the boy harder than he thought. He held out a hand for Jamie to take._

 _The boy pushed himself up onto his knees, gathered snow into a ball in his hand, and then rose to his feet. He spun around and shot at Pippa who ducked behind a tree. Jack's smile faded and he let his hand drop to his side. A sense of unease began to curl in his stomach._

 _Are you mad at me? Jack followed Jamie whose attention remained focused on his other friends. He called out the boy's name. Jaime?! The boy didn't turn, he didn't acknowledge him. The unease twisted into dread. Jack looked up and around at the other children. None of them were looking at him. Had they just not noticed him? That's what it had to be, right?_

 _He called out each of their names, his voice growing louder, straining, as each of them didn't turn. Pippa! Cupcake! Why? Why aren't you looking? Guys! Jack jumped towards each of them, waving his arms and swinging his staff. Claude? Caleb! Mikey? None of the children looked, none of the children made any notion that they could hear him._

 _Jack stood still, his chest heaving as panic began to set in. He heard a laugh and turned to see Jamie running right towards him. Jamie… Heedlessly, the boy ran straight through him, Jack's whole world spinning and exploding for a moment in pain and nothingness. He let out a cry, hunching in on himself and falling to the ground. No. NO, he denied. This couldn't be happening! Not Jamie. NOT JAMIE._

 _The pain wasn't leaving and weakness was seeping down his arms and legs. Jamie didn't believe in him anymore. Neither did Cupcake, Mikey…none of them. They had all forgotten. They had all moved on. But this was too soon! He shouldn't have had to worry about this for_ years _! He was supposed to have years!_

 _The numbing weakness was spreading, making his body tremble and his grip on his staff loosen. He…he didn't have any other believers. The only one not in this group was Sophie. What if she was the only one? Or what if she too had forgotten him? Did he have no one? Was he fading? Jack looked down at his hand, searching for any signs that he had begun to fall apart as the Guardians had that Easter. Was this it?_

 _The laughter had died around him, blanketing him in silence. Jack continued to stare at his pale fingers and knees, his mind blank and unable to think of what he should be doing. Because there was something he should be doing, right? About this. About fading. Or…no, wait, about something else. There was something else._

 _The pale winter sunlight was warming around him, deepening into golds and oranges and increasing in intensity. His shadows, once pale, darkened around him and stretched in all directions. Jack coughed, sucked in another breath, and coughed more. There was something in the air. He was struggling to breathe. There was something…there was smoke._

 _Jack's head flew up, his eyes widening as he saw himself surrounded by fire. It was on all sides, reaching up along tree trunks and inching across the dead plant matter that poked out under the snow. Smoke rose up and hung above him like a gray, hazy ceiling. It was everywhere. It was all around him. He needed to get out….but the children! Where were the kids?_

 _He jumped to his feet, staff still in hand, and spun around, his eyes jumping from trunk to trunk in search of his former believers. Where are you? Where are you?! He darted forward, craning his head around the trees and the flames, before jumping back to avoid the fire's burning touch. WHERE ARE YOU?! His eyes weren't seeing anything but red, orange, and black. The smoke was thickening, overwhelming all of his senses._

 _He took a few steps to the right and stumbled. He tried to right himself but his legs gave out beneath him, sending him to the ground. He hit snow and the coolness was bliss, but it didn't last long. The snow was melting, soaking his hoodie and pants. Jack pushed himself up onto his knees and looked back up at his surroundings._

 _Jamie? Cupcake? Claude? Where were they? Were they safe? He should look for them. What if they were caught in the fire as well? He could protect them…but they couldn't see him, so could he really do much? Indecision and doubt left him frozen where he was crouched, his mind whirling but not settling on any solid idea. He had to help them…but he could barely move._

 _There was a scream, one that made his insides like ice. Jack shoved himself up onto his feet as the chilling fear grew. Jamie._ Jamie _! Where was he? The world was blinking in and out and he found himself unable to fully find his balance. Where was Jamie? Where was he? JAMIE!_

 _Another scream sent him stumbling in one direction, shying away from the flames as best he could, though he still felt his skin burning from the heated air. Jamie…Jamie… Jack was barely hanging on to a sense of staying vertical, his staff the only reason he wasn't face-planting again. He had to find Jamie. Jamie. JAMIE._

 _And suddenly the boy was in front of him, curled up against a tree, arms wrapped tightly around himself. His brown eyes were wide with terror and tears were staining his soot-covered cheeks. Jack wobbled forward, mind numb to any idea of how he was going to save the child, but determined to get as close to him as possible. Jamie. Jamie._

 _Jack took another step and the fires around the two of them roared, exploding from all sides. Jack threw up his arms to protect himself, crying out for his former believer. The flames rushed inward, collapsing onto the spot where Jamie was curled up and Jack's cry turned into a scream._

"AUUUUUUUUUUUGH!" Jack bolted up from where he lay, still yelling as his eyes blindly searched the forest he slept in for Jamie. "Jamie…!" he cried out, his voice hoarse and throat dry. His blue eyes were swinging around so fast, he almost felt nauseous. Or maybe that was the terror that still sat firmly in his stomach, making his insides squirm.

He pushed himself up off of the trunk he had been resting against, snow falling off of his body from where it had collected while he had slept. Once he was on his feet, his mind caught up with what he was seeing. This was not the forest outside of Burgess. This was in Canada. That hadn't been real. It had been a dream. There was no fire.

Jack stood there, gasping, his eyes falling shut as the good news fully registered. It was okay. Jamie was safe and sound at home. He had to be. And he still believed in Jack, right? It wasn't real.

But it had felt so real. Just like every other dream he had had in the last few weeks. Far too real and always about the worst of things. Nightmares, horribly realistic nightmares. Images of Jamie crying as he was engulfed in flames flashed into his mind again and Jack shuddered. He couldn't stay here, surrounded by a setting so close to the one of his dream. He needed to go...go somewhere nice. Somewhere different and a little noisier, somewhere with lots of other people. The North Pole. He'd go there and relax for a while.

Right after he checked on Jamie.


	6. Who Does Jack Fear?

**Dizgirl: Not much time to chat so I'll just say enjoy and love! :3**

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Chapter 6: Who Does Jack Fear?

 _ **PRESENT**_

Bunny felt something warm waft over his face, causing his nose to twitch. He breathed in as he fully woke up and promptly choked on a foul smell that permeated the air around him. Coughing, he jerked up from where he had been lying on his side and hit his head on something that was above him. There was a surprised whinnying yelp from whatever he had hit and Bunny opened his eyes to figure out what it was.

Darkness.

Oh…right. He was in Pitch's lair. And he was blind.

Not letting himself dwell on that thought, he turned his attention to his other senses and caught the sound of heavy breathing not too far away, which was interrupted by a snort. That sounded like a horse…a night mare. He instantly sent a dirty look in the creature's direction.

"Get outta here, ya bag of sand!"

The sandy horse snorted louder and something scraped across the ground. Bunny continued to glare in what he hoped was the right direction and rubbed his shoulder against his head as best he could to shake out some of the sand he could feel had fallen into his fur.

"What a testy guest," came a soft voice from Bunny's left. He stopped what he was doing and turned his head that way.

"Guest isn't exactly the word I'd use in a situation like this," he retorted. To emphasize the point he lifted the paws against his back so that the chain clinked and rattled.

"Well, if you are in a bad mood, I can always return later. What are a few more hours…?" Pitch trailed off.

Bunny pushed himself to his feet, struggling with his stiff body to get it upright. "No! No, the eighteen hours are up, right? Time for more questions."

"Indeed." There was silence and then Pitch spoke up, closer than before. "Shall we get straight to it, then?" Bunny shifted himself so that he was facing the Nightmare King and waited.

"Number four," Pitch announced. "Fear of other spirits."

Bunny's brow furrowed. "Whaddya mean by other spirits?"

"Spirits, beings like you and I that are immortal, that—"

"—I know that!" Bunny scowled at him. "I mean which spirits? There's a heck of a lot of them and I need something more specific than that!"

"I do not mean you, the other Guardians, or myself," Pitch said.

"That doesn't answer my question."

"That is all the answer you'll get. Anymore, and I'll consider your response as incorrect. Six more hours of Jack for me."

Bunny grimaced but didn't protest anymore. Instead he pondered the question. Was Jack afraid of other spirits? He could at least rule out never. He knew that there were several spirits out there that weren't fond of the winter spirit and some of those were quite vocal about their distaste. With a twist of guilt, Bunny had to admit he fell in that category a few years ago. He had heard rumors of Jack having some bad run-ins with these spirits in the past and it could easily have led to Jack being afraid.

But now the kid was a guardian and that kind of position gave a person significant standing in the spirit community. He was sure the other spirits knew what would happen if Jack was attacked by any of them. They'd have four very angry Guardians on their hands and only Pitch was usually bold enough to take that kind of power on directly. Jack had to be aware of that, right? He definitely had to know that the Guardians would keep him safe if anyone got uppity enough.

"Past," he said.

"Wrong," Pitch replied.

Bunny pulled his head back indignantly. "What?"

"Wrong," Pitch repeated. "You are incorrect, mistaken, false, etcetera…take your pick."

"Cut the crap," Bunny groused. "I mean, why am I wrong!"

Pitch was moving again, his voice wandering in front of Bunny. "This is a current fear. Jack fears other spirits."

"Why?" Though his tone remained petulant, Bunny couldn't help but internally be curious—or perhaps wary of that idea. Why was Jack still afraid of them?

"You should know that answer better than most," Pitch said in a condescending tone. "How many spirits are out there right now who dislike Jack Frost? You can name me and, until just recently, you could have named yourself, but taking even us out of this equation, there are dozens of others. You know that."

"But they wouldn't harm him," Bunny argued. "Especially not now that he's a Guardian."

"Oh yes, because no one touches the Man in the Moon's precious protectors of children," Pitch drawled sarcastically. "Shall I point out the irony in that statement or just let you figure that out for yourself?"

"Who is he afraid of? Who does Jack fear? Have they done anything to him?"

"You don't know? How dreadfully little you know about your winter spirit," Pitch mocked.

"Tell me, Pitch!" Bunny demanded, propelling himself up to his feet.

"No." The answer was short and firm with just a thread of warning in it. Bunny stewed, wishing that his sight was back and that his paws were free so he could bash the man's head in. It was impossible right now but the mental image was pleasing.

"Perhaps I will leave you to pout and go enjoy my next six hours with Jack," Pitch said.

Bunny held back the string of insults that quickly filled his mouth at that comment. Swallowing hard he responded, "No, give me more questions. What's the next one?"

There was a long moment of silence, but just when Bunny began to wonder if he had indeed left, he spoke. "Very well…Number five: fear of not knowing who he is."

Bunny lowered himself down into a more comfortable position, thinking hard. Fear of not knowing who he is. Well, that was a good possibility. One of the first things they had learned about Jack when they had asked for his help with Pitch was that he didn't remember who he was prior to becoming Jack Frost. He didn't remember his human life. Not remembering that could easily have led to him fearing it, fearing that he didn't know, fearing who he had been, fearing that he would never find out.

But Jack had found out. Though the Guardians didn't know the details, they did know that Jack saw his memories. The tooth fairy that Jack had dubbed Baby Tooth had told Tooth that she had helped Jack to see them and that Jack had said he realized why he was a Guardian. Jack had not said much about it, just that he had saved a child and that he remembered who he was.

So he couldn't be afraid of not knowing who he was if he in fact did. Bunny opened his mouth to guess and then hesitated. But enough times now he had said his answer with confidence only to learn that he was wrong. Was this another such instance? But…but Jack couldn't still be afraid. He just was, right?

Breathing in sharply he said, "Past." He waited, still holding his breath.

"Correct."

Bunny exhaled in a rush. Good. Now Jack would have a break after the next six hours. He didn't get much time to dwell on that small victory, though, as Pitch spoke up again.

"Number six: losing his staff."

Another wave of relief swept through Bunny. That one was easy. Jack always had his staff on hand and he had seen numerous occasions when the boy had jumped into a panic at not having the crook within a foot of him. Bunny did not know the story to that and couldn't recall seeing Jack quite that jittery prior to him becoming a Guardian, but he did know the answer.

"Present," he stated confidently.

"You are correct," Pitch affirmed and then added in a pensive tone, "I like to think I added to that fear…It's always nice to see your efforts acknowledged."

All the elation at earning Jack another twelve hours of freedom was shoved aside at that cryptic comment. Bunny raised himself up a bit. "What do ya mean?"

"Oh, just remembering that Easter afternoon when you all were _certain_ Jack had betrayed you and left you alone to face my night mares. Our moment in Antarctica…"

"What are you talking about?" Bunny asked with increasing impatience.

A small bark of laughter that almost sounded like surprise came from Pitch's direction. "I am continuously surprised at your mediocre knowledge about Jack. I wonder whose fault is that?" The man began to slink around the room—or at least that was what Bunny imagined he was doing as his voice floated around him.

"Perhaps Jack just doesn't feel comfortable around you. Or perhaps it is much deeper than that. Hmmm…could it possibly be that he is afraid to tell you? Does he fear what you think of him?" There was a beat of silence and then he asked, "Or does he fear what you may do in response?"

Bunny kept his useless eyes staring forward, his ears swiveling to follow the Nightmare King's voice. "We'd never hurt him," he growled.

"Do you think Jack knows that? Do you think he _believes_ it?" Pitch's voice echoed across the room. "Does he fear you?"

"Is that number seven?" Bunny snapped back.

"If it was," Pitch's voice was closer, just a few feet to his right, "would you know the answer?" Bunny turned to face him as best he could.

"If the kid fears us, then I need to give him a good whack across the head to get him thinking right."

"Ironic," Pitch commented. "But that's not an answer. This isn't should and shouldn't. This is past, present, and never. Choose."

"So it _is_ a question for your game?" Bunny inquired, feeling a trickle of apprehension.

"Shall I make it official?" Pitch replied sardonically. "Number seven: does Jack fear his fellow Guardians?

Bunny wanted to say never. More than any of the other fears Pitch had named so far, he wanted to say never. Jack should not have ever _feared_ them, but Bunny knew better than to assume that. Not only had Pitch just dropped a dozen different hints that that wasn't the case but he could think of plenty of reasons himself as to why the boy might. The first of them coming from a memory that remained firmly cemented in his mind despite his many attempts to erase it: the moment that Easter a couple years ago when he had almost hit Jack.

That moment when his holiday had been ruined, when everything was falling apart, when he was still grieving for Sandy, and when he was walked through by his former believers…he had been at his lowest and he had almost taken out all of his pain on Jack. The shock and fear that had rippled across the boy's face as Bunny had raised his fist still haunted him. Especially now that he knew it was Jack who had saved him from fading away completely by sustaining Jamie's belief-not to mention the hundreds of other small moments with Jack since then that had proven just how good he was.

He wanted to say that the winter spirit had moved on from that moment of fear, that he did not fear the Guardians now, but he couldn't help but worry that he was wrong. What if Pitch was right? Jack may in fact fear them.

"Still thinking?" Pitch called out. "Very well. Ponder all you like, Bunny. I will return when I am done with Jack and we will see what your answer is then."

Bunny felt relief and shame tumble within himself, happy to have the time needed to think through his answer, but embarrassed that he could not answer it confidently. It didn't help knowing what Pitch was off to do. Bunny bowed his head, his paws curling into fists. What he wouldn't give to be with the boy right now.

"Come on, Sandy," he muttered. "Be with Frostbite. Don't let him face this alone."


	7. Gold to Black

**Dizgirl: And here we finally get to join up with the dream-maker himself. Let's see what he has to say about what's been happening to Jack... Enjoy and love!**

* * *

Chapter 7: Gold to Black

 _ **PAST**_

Bunny bounded down one of his tunnels, Jack skating behind along the smooth dirt and moss, his body weaving effortlessly but the usual goofy grin gone from his face. Bunny didn't comment on this and instead focused on bringing them up to the right place. They had both agreed that the best place to find Sandy was wherever night had fallen just a few hours prior, which placed them in Eastern Europe. They had checked several cities, seeing evidence that Sandy had come by, and were now on their way to the next location, hoping to catch up. Jack had mumbled something about the wind being faster but they both knew there was no way for Bunny to travel that way.

Fortunately, when they popped out of this tunnel they found themselves on a street with streams of golden sand winding their way above them. Bunny scanned the skies for their fellow guardian but Jack saw him first.

"There," he pointed towards their left. Bunny caught sight of the golden cloud and they headed in that direction. Jack looked over at him. "I can go get him," he offered. Before Bunny could reply, Jack took off, soaring up towards the spot of gold.

"Sure," Bunny muttered, stopping to wait for them. It didn't take long for Jack to reach Sandy. He could see them talk for a bit before the cloud began to descend with the winter spirit now sitting on it. Bunny waited with muted impatience until they had floated down to his level.

Sandy waved at him, symbols of greeting swirling over his head. Bunny nodded in return before getting straight to the point. "Did Frostbite fill you in at all?"

Sandy glanced at the boy, shaking his head. Bunny could see the man's eyebrows crease slightly as he continued to watch Jack, who in turned seemed to squirm a little under the scrutiny.

"Jack's been having nightmares," Bunny explained. Sandy frowned, moving closer to Jack and reaching his hands out for his head. Jack leaned away but eventually couldn't escape without falling off of the cloud. The Sandman cupped the boy's face, studying the deep circles under his eyes. He tilted his head to the side, a picture of Pitch's sand horses followed by a question mark forming above his hair. Several z's followed that with another question mark. Jack looked at Bunny as best he could with his face being held by the Guardian of Dreams. Bunny gestured for him to answer the questions.

Jack sighed. "Yeah, I've been having some bad dreams, but I haven't seen any of Pitch's night mares or him."

"But I did see black sand," Bunny interjected. "When he woke up just now black sand sorta flew out from around his head." He waved a paw towards Jack as if to demonstrate. Sandy raised both eyebrows and returned his gaze to Jack, rubbing a hand over his white hair. It was obvious Jack was uncomfortable with the contact and Sandy's proximity, his lips pressed into a hard line, but he didn't move away from Sandy's examination.

The golden man pulled his hand away, turning it over and scrutinizing it. Bunny moved closer, all three of them at eye level with the other two on the cloud of sand. He looked down as well and saw a few minute grains of blackened sand standing out against the gold. Jack stared down at them as well, his expression changing, making it unreadable.

Sandy turned back to Jack, his question from earlier repeating: z's forming over his head with a question mark, but now in between was the symbol of a thumbs up. Jack shrugged in return.

"No, not really," he said.

"Says he hasn't been getting any rest for weeks," Bunny added, earning himself a disgruntled look from Jack. He sent a stern look back and Jack's eyes slid away to look down the empty street. Sandy's eyes stayed on Jack throughout this silent exchange, concern now easily showing on his features. He sat back a bit, letting the winter spirit sit upright again.

A small golden version of Pitch appeared above his head, which was promptly crossed out. The image of the night mares reappeared and was also crossed out. Then a thin cloud of sand appeared above his head accompanied by another question mark. The pictures transformed into a clock that spun around quickly.

Bunny nodded and crossed his arms. "That sums it up." Sandy's expression turned thoughtful and he pressed a fist to his mouth. Jack had turned back at Bunny's words, his expression neutral but eyes wary. He fiddled with his staff as they waited for Sandy.

About a minute later, Sandy sighed silently and returned his attention to Jack. He held up his hands palms up as if to show he had nothing. He then raised a finger and an image of Jack sleeping with z's floating over his head appeared. A mini Sandman sat next to him, watching the boy sleep.

Jack's face tightened a little. "I don't really want to sleep right now."

"You should," Bunny told him. "With Sandy, you shouldn't have any bad dreams, right?" He looked at Sandy who held up his hand again, this time palm down and wobbled it back and forth. The sleeping Jack reappeared above him and a tiny night mare formed over his head. The mini Sandy instantly reacted, knocking the night mare away. "If he has one you can stop it," he guessed.

Sandy nodded and sent a questioning look at Jack. The boy's eyebrows drew together and he was silent for several moments. Finally he nodded as well.

"Okay," he said, his voice oddly quiet.

Sandy smiled kindly and gestured for the boy to find a comfortable place on his cloud. He then turned back towards Bunny, letting the worry hiding in his eyes expand across the rest of his face. Bunny nodded, feeling his own face mimic his.

"Tell me how it goes," he whispered to the golden man. "I'll be at the Warren." Sandy sent him a firm nod and salute and then raised his hands, sending his cloud skyward. Jack had moved back a bit, but his face turned to Bunny as they rose, his expression troubled.

* * *

Golden ribbons of sand glided out from Sandy's hands, diving down into windows to reach the sleeping children below. Each was infused with all the good he could imagine, though he found himself a bit distracted and unable to put as much effort in as he normally did. His eyes wandered away from the city below to the boy lying curled up on his side behind him.

Jack was asleep now. It had taken him a while to relax enough to do that. Even though he had agreed to come with Sandy and try sleeping while with him, Jack had remained reluctant and almost fearful of closing his eyes and succumbing to sleep. It was strange to see him so timid and so quiet. Then again, from what Bunny had mentioned, it would seem Jack had been suffering from nightmares for weeks now. They must have been bad…

Why hadn't the boy come to him sooner? Surely Jack knew that Sandy would be happy to help him get a good night's rest. He wouldn't judge him or think it embarrassing that he was struggling with nightmares. Everyone had bad dreams.

Sandy pushed another handful of golden sand at the boy's head, which joined the rest that lazily rotated over his white hair. Strange, though the sand was definitely forming into the usual halo of a dream, no shapes were forming out of it. It just continued to swirl above him. Sandy twisted completely around so he faced the sleeping spirit. He manipulated the sand, trying to force it into a certain direction.

This wasn't how he normally handled dreams; usually he let them take whatever happy course the dreamer could imagine, but he could do it if he wanted to. He tried to push the dream to form a story about a snow day in Burgess. Snowflakes glimmered to life amidst the swirling sand but they only lasted a moment before they darkened and crumpled back into the rest.

Sandy balked, his eyes widening at the unexpected move. His sand had never done that before. He tried again, this time shooting for a simple dream about Jack flying over the ocean with dolphins playing beneath him. He knew Jack was fond of the animal. In a similar fashion the dolphins appeared, leapt out of the halo of sand, and then promptly fell apart.

What?

He scooted forward, examining the golden thread of sand above Jack's head. He also looked down at the boy, whose face was slack in sleep. He seemed to at least be sleeping calmly. He raised his eyes to the sand once more and decided to try for a third time. He lifted a hand, ideas for several good dreams bouncing in his head, but abruptly stopped with a silent gasp of surprise. The sand was darkening, gold melding into brown, and then into black. It almost looked like it was decaying, the circle not quite as uniform anymore and its movement slowing down to a sluggish crawl.

Sandy's eyes widened in alarm and he threw both hands forward, concentrating on converting the sand back into his. At first it began to lighten and he felt a flicker of relief, but then the dark sand seemed to push back, blackness overtaking the entire thing. Sandy jerked back, his hands stinging with the dark and cold sensation the sand created. It was the same feel of the sand Pitch had used to destroy him a couple of years prior, the sand of nightmares.

He breathed deeply for a moment, rubbing his hands together as memories of the fear and shadows contained within that sand flashed across his mind. It had been a horrible experience to be converted into his opposite, into the worst and darkest thoughts a mind could produce. Sandy shivered, pushing those memories away. How had sand like that appeared here? Pitch wasn't nearby, there had been no night mares…What was creating it? Because something had to be creating it, right?

There was a quiet moan and Sandy's attention was diverted from his thoughts to the boy sleeping at his feet. One of Jack's hands twitched and his face was scrunched up unhappily. His head jerked to the side and his limbs continued to make feeble movements. A nightmare was happening.

Sandy's eyes darted back up as the black halo began to sink down, crumbling to pieces that fell apart into a cloud of sand wafting over Jack's face. He jumped forward, waving his arms at the cloud to try and keep it off of Jack but as soon as it touched the boy it disappeared. Jack gave another groan and Sandy frantically brushed at the sand. It wasn't coming off. It just kept disappearing, seeming to be absorbed into the boy's skin and hair. What was this? What was happening?

Switching tactics, he rested a hand on either side of Jack's face and concentrated on infusing the boy with good thoughts and happy emotions. He reached for the sand that had sunk within him to pull it back out, but couldn't seem to grasp it. In fact, he felt like he was almost making it worse, like trying to wipe lotion off of someone's face and instead only rubbing it in further. Jack gave a strangled cry and Sandy pulled back, completely bewildered now.

What had happened to Jack?! What _was_ this?


	8. Wrong

**Dizgirl: Welp that was a bit of a bigger break between chapters than I had planned. I was discussing this story with a fellow writer and ROTG fan and she gave me some great ideas for the future direction of this story, which meant I needed to tweak a few things so that I could use those ideas later. First, I decided my original chapter 8 (a Never chapter) was kinda unnecessary so I took it out. Good news, we get to have Bunny answer Pitch this chapter instead of waiting longer. Bad news, I now only have 11 chapters for this story instead of 12. D: But, good news again, I think I'm hooked on finishing this story...I'm still gonna say updates will be way out there but I don't think I can leave it up to someone else to finish it now, heh...**

 **So, good news, bad news but overall I think good. Enjoy and love!**

* * *

Chapter 8: Wrong

 _ **PRESENT**_

It was hard to tell time when you were blind. He knew time was passing and, if he had cared to try, he could count the minutes but it wasn't the same as being able to see your environment slowly shift around you. Then again, he was sure he was stuck in some dark dank cave deep inside Pitch's lair, so there was a good chance there wouldn't be much to see anyway. No sun, no wind, no other life but his own.

The aches in his body from his fight with Pitch had begun to fade. The worst of it was in his arms and that was because of their current position of being held tightly behind his back more than any injury done to them. He moved into a different sitting position, grimacing as his shoulders throbbed. How much he longed to move his arms forward and curl them up to his chest. They had been extended way too long, growing numb at times before suddenly burning into life when he moved. His whole body was much like that, sliding between being stiff, numb, and aching. And don't get him started on the state of his throat and stomach. Would it kill Pitch to offer him water or food?

Then again, why would the Nightmare King ever think to do anything nice for him? He had taken Bunny, locked him to a cold stone floor, blinded him with a strange unknown power, and carried on torturing Jack. It wasn't like Bunny could expect anything but the worst. He knew Pitch was getting an annoying amount of amusement from inflicting Jack with nightmares. That was where he was right now if the six hours weren't up yet.

And that was where Bunny's dilemma lay: were the six hours up? The thought brought both hope and dread to Bunny. Hope that Jack would be able to sleep during the following break and that the other Guardians could help him beat Pitch's black sands, and dread for the question that would come when Pitch returned. Bunny frowned at the ground as that thought dredged up the one thing he didn't want to think about.

Did Jack fear the guardians? He didn't know the answer, honestly had no idea. Well, Bunny could say with some confidence that Jack was probably never afraid of Sandy or Tooth. Sandy had mentioned Jack on a few occasions throughout the boy's life as a spirit and it had always been a friendly relationship as far as Bunny understood. Tooth had never met Jack until the Man in the Moon chose Jack as a Guardian and, besides the one moment on Easter when they all rejected him, he doubted they had had a bad moment. He didn't know about North, but he would guess he fell somewhere between the other two.

But…was Jack afraid of him? Bunny could probably safely rule out never and that thought made his gut squirm with guilt. Before Jack had become a guardian their relationship mostly consisted of tense conversations, Jack's pranks, and Bunny getting after him for said pranks. There had also been the disastrous blizzard of '68 that had left both of them avoiding each other for the next fifty years. Considering how furious Bunny had been at the time and what he had said, he couldn't help but admit that Jack had probably feared him.

Actually, he had been trying to do that very thing that day: make the winter spirit afraid. He wanted to get it through the kid's skull that if he didn't cut out all the snow in spring, Bunny was going to seriously knock him down and put him out. After much yelling and tosses of his boomerangs, he managed to strike a nerve. Jack's cocky smile had slipped off his face, revealing a flash of alarm that had been very satisfying at the time. He barely saw the winter spirit after that until he was called as a Guardian.

That moment had lost all appeal now. In fact it made him feel a little sick to know he had pushed the boy that far. He could see now what he hadn't at the time; that Jack had been afraid long before he showed it. He knew the signs now: the hood up (of a different jacket then), the way he held his staff, the bravado… Jack had been afraid. Bunny couldn't say never.

But could he say past? He wanted to, but how could he rule out entirely that Jack was not afraid of him still? He acted like everything was fine but they had learned over the past few years that Jack was good at playing things close to the vest. He was very good at hiding what he really felt so maybe he was afraid and he just didn't show it…

"Poor little Aster," a smooth voice whispered across the space surrounding him, interrupting his internal struggle. Bunny jerked up, instinctively looking around despite that it did nothing for him now. "So very afraid that his fellow Guardian may fear him. Round and round it goes, fear on all sides…"

Bunny suppressed a glare at the familiar voice, instead thinking about where it— _he_ had come from: Jack. How was Jack? Was he alone? Had he gone for help as Bunny had hoped? "The six hours are up?" he asked, hoping for the first time in his life for Pitch to brag about what he had done. He wanted to know.

"Time flies when I'm having _fun_ ," Pitch replied with a chilling chuckle. Bunny caught the double reference and glowered in the direction of the man's voice. "And now Jack gets his rest. Good thing too. He's looking _awful_." Worry fluttered inside him but Bunny tried to keep it from showing.

"Now we get to the next part of our game…" Pitch moved forward, his voice growing louder. "Do you have your answer?" Bunny swallowed but nodded.

"Yeah, I do," he said, noting that his voice was starting to grow raspy. He swallowed again.

"Number seven: does Jack fear his fellow Guardians?"

Bunny's face tilted to the ground and he inhaled slowly. Feeling almost like he was betraying the winter spirit, Bunny said, "Present."

There was a long pause and he could only imagine Pitch was grinning, relishing the turmoil he had created. He gritted his teeth together as his stomach tied itself in knots. Come on, just give an answer… Then, just when he was ready to snap at the Nightmare King to get a move on the man spoke, his voice an interesting mix of amusement and disappointment.

"Wrong."

Bunny's head snapped up and he opened his mouth as if to protest. Instead he just let it hang, knowing he probably looked completely ridiculous but he didn't even care. Wrong? He was wrong?

"By the idiotic look on your face I suppose you are surprised by the truth," Pitch's voice had returned to its normal oily calm. "Jack does not fear you or the other Guardians… _anymore_." He then warned, "But just because he doesn't fear what you would do to him directly, doesn't mean that you cannot still scare him."

Bunny didn't care what Pitch meant by that. For the first time since he had woken up in this dank hole, Bunny felt happy. Jack did not fear them! He didn't fear _him_!

"It seems I at least will have another six hours to enjoy Jack's presence," Pitch continued. "I wonder if we can add another six to that? Let us continue with more questions."

Bunny's happiness was dampened by the reminder that the wrong answer meant Jack would be at Pitch's mercy once more, but he still felt much better than before. "Yeah, sure. Give me the next."

"Number eight: fear of bodies of water."

Bunny raised an eyebrow. "Water? Really? You do know what snow is made of, right?"

"I am well aware," Pitch replied, his voice light. "But that is not an answer I am looking for…"

Jack couldn't be afraid of water. How could the bringer of winter, the creator of snow and ice fear his own element? Granted, bodies of water were in the liquid form, but where did the Guardians go to find Jack when he scurried off? The lake outside of Burgess. They basically considered it Jack's lake considering how much time he stayed there. There was no way.

"Never," Bunny answered firmly.

Pitch let out a quiet chuckle. "It never seems to fail. Did you know, Bunny, I know more about Jack Frost in my few and brief encounters with him than you have learned in the last three years?"

Bunny's confidence faded and he straightened up. "What—"

"—After all these years, he still hasn't told you about _that_?"

"Stop beating around the bush and tell it to me straight," Bunny growled. "What's the answer?"

With great satisfaction in his voice, Pitch said, "Present."

Bunny shook his head. "No way. Why would Frostbite be afraid of water?"

"Oh no, I'm not telling you the story there." The man's voice continued to hold barely restrained pleasure. "I enjoy your ignorance so much more."

"It doesn't make any sense," Bunny argued.

"It wouldn't…except, do you know _why_ Jack is so fond of that lake in Burgess?" The question hung in the air and the Guardian of Hope knew he wouldn't be able to answer it. It looked like he had a lot to ask Jack once he escaped.

"Twelve hours of peace, followed by twelve hours of me," Pitch said. "Seems fair, doesn't it? I think I will return once that is over."

"Hey, wait!" Bunny stood up, ignoring the wave of pins and needles rippling down his legs. "That was only two questions."

Pitch's voice had grown quickly distant. "Yes, yes it was." Bunny opened his mouth and then let it fall shut, knowing it wouldn't do any good to try and dispute that.

Gently letting himself back down onto the stone, his mind sorted through the last few minutes. He had learned something great and something potentially very disturbing. Jack did not fear them, but he did fear water, the very element he used on a daily basis. Why? And what had happened to him that had made him that way?


	9. Can't Keep Doing This

**Dizgirl: Welp this took a lot longer to get out than I was planning. Sorry for the delay! I've been sorta plotting out some of this story with my friend and my husband so I could make sure I wasn't trapped in a corner whenever I got around to writing the rest of this and I finally figured out where I wanted it to go. But that meant tweaking this chapter and it put up a fight! I think it works now but let me know if something's rough/confusing.**

 **Don't let the "never" confuse you. This does happen in the story, but since there's a dream involved I am considering it a "never" chapter :D Enjoy and love!**

* * *

Chapter 9: Can't Keep Doing This

 _ **NEVER**_

 _Blackness surrounded him. He couldn't see. Why was it so dark? Was it night? Where was the moon? Jack took a few steps forward, his arms outstretched to catch any possible objects in his way. He met nothing and could feel nothing. No heat, no chill, no ground, no wind. He couldn't hear anything either. Not a sound._

 _He stopped, licking his lips. Where was he? And why did he feel like he was being watched? He was in complete darkness, but he could feel eyes on him. Was there someone else out there? Was he the only one that couldn't see? But, for some reason he almost felt like it wasn't another person but the very darkness itself that was watching him, seeing him from all angles. Everywhere._

 _The hair on the back of his neck stood up and he felt adrenaline quivering through his veins. He turned around slowly, eyes wide open to catch anything. The feeling followed him, and he hunched in a little as if he could hide from it. But when it's the darkness that stalks you, where can you run? He was surrounded by it._

 _Suddenly there was a blinding ray of golden light from above him. Jack threw up a hand against the glow, squinting up towards where it came from. Something was coming down, a whole cloud of something small and glimmering. He waited for it to reach him, his eyes slowly adjusting to the golden beam. Jack felt a leap of hope when he saw what it was coming towards him._

 _Snowflakes._

 _His lips twitched into a smile. Snowflakes! Snow! He jumped up as the closest one fell into reach, cupping a hand around the tiny piece of ice. As soon as he did, golden light burst in all directions, chasing the darkness away._

 _Once the light had faded, he found himself standing in a street laden with snow, more of it coming down in big fluffy flakes all around him. He recognized the houses on either side. This was Jamie's street. He was in Burgess. Where were the children? This weather was perfect for a snowball fight. Laughter came in the distance from his right. He turned and headed for his lake, floating lightly from where he was to land by the edge of the frozen body of water._

 _More laughter echoed out from among the trees and Jack grinned. He jumped in that direction, switching between running and flying as he weaved his way between the trees. Up ahead he saw the bright colorful jackets of the children he had come to know and love, his believers. Jamie, Pippa, Cupcake… Jack had the wind send him spiraling up, a snowball forming in his hand. He turned to dive and felt a trickle of dread that brought him up short._

 _Why did this seem familiar? Had he done this before? Yes…dozens of times. So why did something feel off? Shaking the thought away, he continued his descent, pelting Jamie with the ball in his hand. The boy tumbled to the ground with a yelp and then a giggle. Jack smiled, ignoring the rising wave of unease within him and formed more ammo in his hand._

 _He spun around, caught sight of Cupcake and tossed his snowball at her. She blocked with her arm and he called out a compliment. She didn't seem to hear him, too occupied by Claude peeking out from a tree across the way. Jack turned towards Jamie and once again felt the swooping sensation of déjà vu and trepidation. He had done this before. He had. And…didn't something seem wrong last time? Didn't that end…badly?_

 _Jamie rose to his feet, forming a ball of snow before spinning around and throwing it at the person nearest him: Pippa. Jack was right in front of him and Jamie didn't so much as glance at him. The feeling grew and Jack swallowed hard. Jamie? He took a step forward and Jamie, still not looking at him, ran forward. Jack sucked in a breath, realizing what was going to happen seconds before it did. He cried out as the boy moved right through him, the feeling of nothingness and pain sending him reeling._

 _He crashed to his knees and gasped. Memories from the last time were coming back, warnings and premonitions. They couldn't see him. They stopped believing in him. No matter how much he called they wouldn't hear. Their laughter and fun did not include him anymore. And then…and then there would be fire._

 _Golden light grew around him, reaching higher and higher on all sides. He could feel the heat and he hunched in tighter on himself. No. NO. He did not want to relive this. He could_ not _relive this! Not the flames, not the melting snow, not Jamie!_

 _A scream echoed out from somewhere nearby, barely heard over the roar of the flames. It swept through Jack like an electrical current, jolting him to his feet. Jamie! He had to try to save him. This time he would save him! This time Jamie wouldn't get hurt!_

 _Jack squinted as he searched for any sign of the boy, willing him to call out again. As he turned around, he caught sight of something moving in the distance. A figure with hair as bright as the flames it walked through. His heart gave a painful squeeze and he gasped. He needed to find Jamie_ fast _._

 _As if on cue, there was another cry from the boy and Jack was able to hone in on the right direction. He stumbled toward him quickly, skirting away from the hungry flames as best he could, until he caught sight of Jaime huddled at the base of tree. The boy stared wide-eyed at the inferno surrounding them, his gaze passing right through Jack who flinched in response. He still moved forward, wanting to be close to the boy and hoping to find a way to get them both out of there._

 _Then, the figure appeared from behind the tree where Jamie was, his hair bright and eyes stormy in a deeply tanned face. Lean, toned arms reached out towards the boy crouched on the forest floor. No! Jack darted forward, swinging his staff up to strike him. He brought his staff down sharply and felt himself tumble forward as the ground gave out beneath him, sending him falling into nothingness. The golden light followed him but it was no longer burning and suffocating. It brightened until it grew so intense that he had to close his eyes against it._

 _He kept them shut until he felt the wind ruffle his hair and clothes. Jack opened his eyes and saw he was flying in the air, no more trees around him and no more fire. Jamie and the figure were gone as well. Instead, he saw the endless expanse of the ocean stretching out below him. Waves crested and fell, sprays of chilly water reaching up to sprinkle across his cheeks. His panic and fear trickled away._

 _A chittering, clicking sound below him made him twist his head behind him. There was a pod of dolphins jumping through the water, racing to catch up to him. He smiled, slowing down slightly to let the sleek creatures reach where he was. They continued to leap up and then dive back down, grinning at him with their wide mouths and clicking and squealing happily. He dropped down between them as they rose up into the air._

 _Jack looked forward for a moment, glancing at the ocean to confirm the way was clear ahead. He then returned his attention to his new friends below. They were still jumping and diving, but something seemed different. They seemed to be darker than before and they had stopped making noises. He twisted to see one better as it came back up and yelped when it sprung straight for him._

 _He dodged it barely, water splashing across him as the dolphin fell back into the ocean. He directed the wind to pull him back up but before it could, something wet slammed into his back. It threw him off course, sending him spinning out of control and crashing into the waves. The impact emptied him of all his air in a rush of bubbles and he sank several feet before he could recover from the shock._

 _The water was a deep blue, full of shadows despite the fact that it had been day on the surface. He threw his head up, searching for where the water ended and saw that the ocean looked the same in that direction as it did in all of the others. Had he gotten twisted around? Had he sunk deeper than he had expected? Where was the surface?!_

 _His heart began to pound as he realized he didn't know which way was up. He couldn't get out. He couldn't see the floor or the sky. He swung up an arm, trying to freeze the ice to see where it would float to and found that he didn't have his staff. He twisted around, searching for the piece of wood, for the surface, for light, for_ anything _! Where was he? How did he get out?_

 _The water was pressing in on him, reminding him that he was out of air. He was immortal, but he could still die. And that seemed like a very real possibility at the moment. He needed air. He needed it desperately. If he didn't get it soon he would…he would… He flailed his arms, trying to create movement. Why were his arms moving so slow? The water…it seemed heavy, thick. He…needed to get up. He needed to get out. Air... he needed…_

Jack gasped, his body arching against something soft and grainy. Cold, sharp air was sucked into his lungs and he expelled it out only to suck another breath in greedily. He continued to gasp and cough, curling onto his side as he hungrily ate at the air. His staff was in his hands; he could feel the familiar contours of the wood. He clutched it to his chest, his fists pressed against his hoodie, moving in time with his ragged breaths.

It took him several minutes of just lying there breathing before he had the courage to open his eyes. Was the nightmare going to continue? He almost didn't want to find out, but he opened them anyway. Gold spread out beneath him and something else gold blocked part of his view of the night sky. Memories of flames danced across his mind and he jolted up into a sitting position.

He backed up, trying to scramble away from the bright color and felt a cool breeze hit his back, warning him of an open space. Jack gasped as he started to fall off of whatever he had been lying upon. Something snatched his wrist and held on, keeping him from falling off entirely. His heart was still pounding, air rushing in and out of his lungs in hitches and gasps. Looking up he could see Sandy standing there, his hands being what had kept him from tumbling straight off of the golden cloud.

"Sandy…" Jack wheezed. The man pulled him up before guiding him away from the edge into the middle of his cloud. Once there, Jack pulled his knees to his chest, staff securely between them. He then wrapped his arms on top and buried his head in them. Too much. This was all too much. The nightmares had been bad from the start but they were only becoming more real and painful. He couldn't keep doing this. He wanted to sleep, but the dreams made it impossible. He just wanted to sleep…

And why, he thought suddenly, had he not been able to do that here of all places? On Sandy's cloud?! Shouldn't this be the one place where he could sleep in peace? His head shot up and he glared at the Guardian of Dreams who had obviously been watching him. Sandy raised an eyebrow, a questioning look taking over his face.

"I had nightmares," Jack told him accusingly. "I…" All fight left him as quickly as it had come. "Just one right after another. Bad dream, bad dream…" He dropped his head back onto his arms. "I can't keep doing this…"

He felt one of Sandy's fingers tap him on his shoulder. Twisting his head, he looked at the man out of the corner of his eye. Sand appeared above Sandy's head and formed a picture of sleeping Jack. A halo of sand was above his head. After a few seconds the halo changed into one of Pitch's sand horses. A mini Sandy appeared, touching the horse and forcing it back into the ring of dream sand, but as soon as he did the mare reared back up and fought back. Sandy and the mare continued to struggle when finally the Jack sprung up into a sitting position, the horse disappearing.

Jack watched it, understanding what Sandy was saying though he found the meaning completely baffling. Sandy was more powerful than a nightmare—whether it was made by Pitch or not. The only time he had ever lost to one had been when Pitch had shot that arrow at him a couple of Easter's ago. Sandy had been infected then, the black sand working from the inside out. This wasn't like that; Pitch hadn't infected him. Why had Sandy been unable to convert the nightmare back to a good dream?

Sandy was still watching him, his eyebrows creased in an apologetic expression. Jack lifted his head off of his arms and gave him a small smile, trying to let him know he understood Sandy had tried. The golden man returned the smile, his expression still showing signs of guilt and worry. He moved closer, almost hesitantly, and then rested a hand on one of Jack's. The boy sighed in return, his eyes wandering out to the stars surrounding them.

"What's going on, Sandy?" he asked. "What is happening to me?" He then turned his attention back to Sandy to see his response.

His face twisting into one of frustration, Sandy shrugged. He showed the halo of sand again, a perfect circle spinning gently, and then the sand began to warp and slow. It warbled and crumbled, falling apart and sinking down. He showed the sand rain down onto a face and disappear into the skin. Jack felt a little sick. Had that been what had happened just now? His dreams had…fallen apart? But how? Sandy didn't seem to be familiar with the idea so it wasn't like it was some natural occurrence. Was Pitch involved? If so, why hadn't Jack (or Bunny or Sandy) seen him? And if it wasn't Pitch, then what was causing this?

Images from his nightmares flashed in his mind. Jamie, the flames, the man's arms outstretched over the boy… Jack's stomach clenched tightly and the nauseous feeling grew. Could all of this be related to _that_? But that…that was months ago. They had moved past that. Everything was okay now. His body seemed to disagree, his stomach churning uneasily and every muscle in his neck clenching tight as his mind lingered on the fiery eyes and hardened face of the figure in his dream.

Jack sighed, resting his head against his arms once more. Okay, so maybe everything wasn't okay yet. Maybe he was still having a hard time being around Jamie since then. Maybe he was feeling a little jumpy, a little down. But constant nightmares, his dreams falling to pieces, black sand bursting out from his head? Could what happened really cause all of that?

There was only one way to find out: he'd have to go back.


	10. What Does It Mean?

**Dizgirl: Well this took much longer than I was planning. Sorry about that! I could ramble about the craziness of life but y'all don't really want to read that! You want what's below. :) This chapter is kinda short but the next one is much longer, so hang with me! And then everything I've written so far will be posted...not sure how long of a gap after that it will be before I can post something again but we'll see.**

 **In the meantime, enjoy and love!**

* * *

Chapter 10: What Does it Mean?

 _ **PAST**_

Sandy's mind ran in circles as he tried to make sense of Jack's predicament. Why didn't his dream sand take hold like it was supposed to? When the sand darkened why couldn't he convert it back? And what could possibly make his sand break down like it had? He had never seen something like that before.

And then to have it be absorbed by the boy's skin? The scene played out in his head again. The gold sand had turned black, crumbling into pieces that had faded into Jack's face. The boy had flailed and panicked at that point, thrashing around. And then suddenly his actions had stopped, his body going limp, and his breathing had stuttered to a stop. Sandy had felt his own heart stop at that moment, a thousand terrified thoughts blooming in his mind, only to have it all quelled when Jack inhaled, his body arching with the strain. Black sand then clouded up around the boy's head and fled in all directions, disappearing into the air.

Jack had woken up after that, still obviously held in the thralls of the dream as he almost crawled right off the edge of his cloud. Though Sandy had managed to calm him down and explain what had happened, Jack did not relax at all. He sat in a ball in the center of Sandy's cloud, hood up and body slightly shaking. He had never seen Jack so unnerved and Sandy ached for him, wanting to take it all away. But he was completely stumped.

Not knowing what else to do, he decided to head towards the Warren and discuss it with Bunny. Perhaps together they could find a solution. Jack did not comment on that decision. In fact, Sandy wasn't completely sure Jack had even seen the signs he sent his way. Deciding to let him be for the moment, Sandy carried them on his sand down south. They made swift progress, cool air streaming past them, and soon were floating down to where Bunny's home was.

They entered into the Warren, flying down a long tunnel from the surface into the underground spring paradise. Jack seemed to have recovered to a degree, slowly unraveling from his coiled position, though he did not move from where he sat. Sandy stayed afloat until he found Bunny hopping along the grassy hills below. He guided his cloud down towards him and, once he knew Jack realized it was going to happen, let it disperse.

Bunny had caught sight of them as they descended and moved closer as they touched the ground. His face expectant, he looked at Sandy and then Jack, a flicker of worry crossing his features at the winter spirit's closed off appearance. "So…?"

Sandy also looked at the boy, sighing. He turned to Bunny with an unenthusiastic smile, a thumbs down appearing above his head. At Bunny's questioning look he continued, creating symbols much like the ones he had used to explain the situation to Jack. That he had been sleeping but the dream wouldn't take hold, that a nightmare took its place instead, and that Sandy had been unsuccessful in turning it back.

"Ya couldn't change the sand? But…" Bunny seemed at a loss for what to say. "Have you ever had trouble before? You've always been able to change nightmares back into good dreams, right?"

Sandy nodded, worry settling onto his face and he held up his hands in a gesture of his own puzzlement. He then raised a finger to indicate there was more, but Bunny's attention had moved back to the other guardian and he didn't see it. "So ya had another nightmare?"

It seemed to take Jack a second to realize the question was directed at him. He looked up, his face mostly shadowed by his hood which left them clueless as to what he was thinking. "Yeah."

Bunny furrowed his brow. "Nightmares but no Pitch…" He trailed off and Sandy took the moment of silence to try and gain his attention, waving a set of golden flags over his head. Bunny didn't seem to notice, his eyes unfocused in thought. Sandy frowned, the flags bursting into pieces.

"Maybe," Bunny started, his expression still distant, "Maybe it has something to do with the types of dreams you're having…" His eyes sharpened and he looked at Sandy, but before the dream giver could form the symbols needed to tell the rest of his story, Bunny continued.

"Pitch can cause nightmares but he ain't the only one. And there are different types of dreams—nightmares or night terrors—right? Maybe we're not dealing with normal nightmares or even Pitch nightmares but something else."

Sandy nodded and quickly jumped in with the image he had been showing before. The miniature Jack slept with a halo of sand above his head. The thin circle warbled and then disintegrated into his skin only to come bursting back out in a cloud as the mini Jack jolted upright. It wasn't just a nightmare. It was something more, something new.

Bunny eyes widened and he gave a sharp nod. "The sand looked like that when we were at the pole." He waved a paw around in the air as if showing something flying away. "But before that the dream sand fell _apart_? What does that _mean_?"

Sandy threw up his hand and shook his head, silently mimicking Bunny's confusion. He had no idea and as someone considered an expert in sleep and dreams that was saying something!

Bunny turned towards Jack, saying, "What do you think, Jack? Can you re—Jack?" Sandy looked over at the surprise in Bunny's voice.

Jack was gone.

Sandy spun around and Bunny did the same, both scanning their surroundings for any sign of the winter child. Exclamation points jumped to life above his head and Bunny called out the boy's name a few more times. The pooka then bounded off and Sandy pulled up a new cloud of sand to send him flying high up in the air. Where was Jack? Why would he leave?

Where was he going?


	11. A Change in the Game

**Dizgirl: Yay new chapter! :D Not so yay-this is the end of what I've already written. That doesn't mean I'm abandoning this! I've decided to finish it, but there are going to be long breaks between chapters. I really want to finish my other fic in progress (Because of Him) so I'm going to give that priority over this one. But when I need breaks from that one I'll work on this and post as I write. :3**

 **Hope you enjoy and love!**

* * *

Chapter 11: A Change in the Game

 _ **PRESENT**_

Bunny couldn't believe his eyes. Literally, he couldn't believe them. He blinked once and then again, not sure if he could accept it or not. He could _see_. Not much, not well, and definitely not enough for him to do much about it, but he was seeing more than just blackness. Everything was still clouded and dim, like he was in a room full of heavy dark smoke, but it was something.

For the first time in the many hours he had been stuck here he could—vaguely—see his surroundings. He was in a large room, as he had guessed, chained to a stone floor at the center of it. As far as he could tell with his limited visibility and the gloomy lighting, the floor sloped up from where he was and reached walls that were broken into archways. Beyond that everything was too dark for him to make out. Straight in front of him was something large and narrow, like an angular column, though he almost thought it was a throne of some kind.

Honestly, he didn't care. He could _see_ it. Which meant that whatever Pitch had done to him wasn't permanent. He could recover. But what had done it? Was it just a power that eventually wore off? Or had it been weakened in some way? Its potency came from Jack's fear…so the only thing that should be able to weaken it was Jack not being afraid, right?

This thought gave him a surge of courage and hope. Was Jack finding a way to resist Pitch? Or had Sandy managed to fight off the nightmares? Were all the Guardians involved now, aware of the issue, and protecting their youngest member? Whatever the case may be, something had improved and it was lifting Bunny's spirits dramatically. He wasn't sure exactly how much time had passed since Pitch had left, but he assumed it had been about eight hours. He had another sixteen to go. Maybe by then he'd have his vision back completely.

* * *

Bunny had continued his limited study of the layout and his restraints, mapping out all possibilities of escape. Hours passed and he silently wondered how far into the twenty-four hour break they were. His answer came in the form of a hot stinging pain to his eyes. He hissed, doubling over as they burned. Tears formed quickly and fell to the ground and on his legs. He wanted to rub them, wanted to do _something_ to alleviate the painful sensation, but in his current position all he could was squeeze them shut and wait out the pain.

Eventually, it subsided and he waited several minutes in silent relief before attempting to open them. He slowly did so, relaxing as that did not bring any further hurt, and looked around. Darkness. Nothing but darkness. Nothing but black on all sides. He was blind again.

Bunny let out a quiet curse, letting his head drop back down again. Why? Why had it come back? Was it as he had suspected? That Jack had begun to grow stronger, begun to resist? That he and the other Guardians had found some way to fight back? But if that was true, then that meant that now the boy had succumbed to Pitch and his fears again.

Bunny felt his stomach sink. That was his fault. He was the one who had guessed wrong and therefore lost the chance for Jack to have more hours of peace. He should know his fellow Guardian better, should know him well enough to answer questions about what it is the boy feared the most. Instead he had been making stabs in the dark, leaving Jack at Pitch's mercy.

But at the same time… a wave of hot anger spread through him. He was also blind, trapped, hungry, exhausted, injured and unable to do anything but answer questions! He couldn't do this by himself! And he needed almost as much help as Jack! Were the other Guardians aware of what was happening? He knew Sandy was in on the situation, but they hadn't told North and Tooth about it yet. Sandy was supposed to let them know, but that was just before the fight in the forest, and Bunny had been taken before he could find out.

Whether they knew or not, that still left both Jack and Sandy aware that Bunny wasn't just sitting in his Warren having a good time while they were struggling with this problem. Surely they knew that he was captured or at least knew he was missing. They wouldn't expect him to just go wandering off! So they had to be looking for him. North and Tooth had to know. And if they were all involved then he would very much like to be rescued now, dammit!

Bunny groaned, the anger fading and leaving him despondent once more. Where were his fellow Guardians? What was Pitch doing to Jack right now that was causing him to be so scared it was blinding him? How was he going to get out?

* * *

After dwelling on his dark thoughts for some time, Bunny fell into a fitful sleep. He woke frequently, feeling eyes on him and hearing the faint echo of whinnies and huffs. He lashed out whenever the sound was too close, hitting something hard and sandy every once in a while. Eventually, he was left alone and was able to get a little rest, but it didn't last nearly as long as he would have wished.

A clattering sound, loud and distinct, startled him awake. There were several more noises, muffled and hard to decipher. That wasn't the usual. Normally things were deathly still around here unless Pitch or a night mare was in the room. And, even then, neither made much noise. Pitch was silent except when he spoke and the night mares made a distinctive skittering, rustling noise. He did hear that sound now and the quiet tones of Pitch's voice, but there was something else. A groan? No, another voice?

He pushed himself up a bit, not quite all the way upright but closer, his shoulders protesting stiffly. Silence fell again and he strained his ears to try and pick up any more sounds. Whatever he had heard had come from far away, echoing down some corridor or doorway into the room he was in and it had been different. He hadn't heard anything like it in the time he had been here. Curiosity tickled in his mind but he pushed it aside. Even if he could see, he wouldn't be able to learn what it was that had happened. Not from here. Not from Pitch.

Bunny slumped back to the ground, closing his once again useless eyes, as he waited for Pitch or a night mare to appear. If Pitch was back, that meant he was finished with his twelve hours and was ready to ask him more questions. He knew he should try to be up and ready for him, make it look like his imprisonment hadn't taken its toll, but he just couldn't be bothered to move until the man decided to make his appearance.

A minute passed and Bunny was just beginning to drift off again when something cold touched his shoulder. The pooka gave a start, jolting back from the unexpected touch. His eyes automatically flew open, searching for whatever it was that touched him, but his other senses also reached out as they adapted to his blindness. He couldn't hear the usual sounds of a night mare and the foul smell of their breath was absent as well. The touch came from a hand, but there was no way that Pitch would be the one doing it. Also…he could smell pine. He could smell snow. His heart gave an uncomfortable thump.

"Bunny?" came Jack's voice, soft and raspy.

"Jack," he gasped, his voice sounding almost exactly like the winter spirit's. He coughed and swallowed. "What're you doing here?"

"Pitch," Jack's voice darkened. "We were looking for you—well, the others were, and he came after me. I, uh, I wasn't able to get away."

Hearing Jack's voice, knowing that he was right there in front of him, made a hailstorm of emotions roil up in Bunny. He was elated to know that Jack was okay enough to be talking to him this calmly but incensed that Pitch had gone after him physically. Hadn't the deal been that he would leave Jack alone if Bunny got his answers right? And there had been nothing in the deal about taking Jack while it was Pitch's turn. What was Pitch doing?!

"Bunny?" Jack's voice was hesitant, almost worried.

"Yeah, mate."

"Is something wrong with your eyes? You're not looking at me…and they…they're…they don't look right."

Bunny sighed. "Pitch has done something to them. I…can't see."

"What?" Jack breathed. "He…can do that?"

"Apparently." He could explain it in much more detail but he wasn't sure if he wanted Jack to know exactly how it worked. He knew Jack would feel horrible and he didn't need to add to the misery he was already going through. He heard Jack shift closer, his breath hitching slightly. His ears twitched at the sound.

"You okay?" he asked quietly.

"Yeah, I just tried to give Pitch a good run for his money." He didn't need to see to tell there was a grin on Jack's face.

"Good on ya, mate."

"Thanks. But what about you? You don't look good." Jack's cool fingers brushed a spot on the top of his head, causing Bunny to flinch slightly.

"'M fine," he replied. "Like ya said, gave Pitch a good run for his money." Bunny heaved himself up, trying to get upright. Jack's hands immediately latched onto one of his arms and helped him up. This brought a confusing thought to his mind.

"You're free," he said, keeping voice hushed. He doubted they could actually hide what they were saying from Pitch, but he still wanted to try. Jack seemed to be feeling the same way. "Why aren't you chained up like me?"

"I dunno," Jack replied truthfully. "He dragged me here and dumped me outside the room. Said you were in here and I should join you. He has my staff," his voice wavered slightly as he said that, "so I couldn't really do anything else."

"Simply put, Bunny," another voice, low and smooth and far too familiar for comfort, spoke up, "I haven't done it yet. I couldn't pass up the opportunity to witness this little happy reunion."

Jack moved closer to Bunny, not exactly touching him but he was close enough that Bunny could feel the chill radiating from his skin. That simple movement spoke volumes. When they had faced Pitch during the Easter Jack became a guardian, he had boldly stepped forward, stood in front with determination clear on his face. Now he was sidling up to Bunny, not saying a word. The fire from earlier rekindled and he glowered in the direction Pitch's voice had come from.

"Why did you take Jack?" he demanded.

"Why not?" Pitch countered.

"We had a deal," Bunny snarled back. "I answer your questions and you leave him alone."

"If you get them right."

Bunny rankled at the correction but didn't argue. "And where in that was you taking him?"

"Nowhere," Pitch replied calmly. "And that is true in both meanings of the word." The man's voice shifted to their left and he felt Jack move minutely in reply. "I did not say I would, but I also didn't say I wouldn't."

Bunny growled under his breath. Beside him Jack whispered, "What deal?"

"I felt you needed further persuasion," Pitch continued. "You seemed to be doing an awful job at answering my questions. I simply thought you could use a…more _present_ reminder of exactly why you should."

"I don't need a reminder! I knew exactly what ya were doing!"

"I guess I was wrong," Pitch sighed. "But since he's already here…" There was a hissing sound, the rush of sand, and Jack's chill was suddenly gone. The boy yelped but the sound was cut off by a thump and a groan.

"Jack!" Bunny cried out, his head jerking in the direction of the sounds. He then swiveled around to face where Pitch had been last. "Let him go!"

"No," Pitch said smugly. "Are you ready to continue our game?"

"No I'm not!" Bunny snapped back. "What have you done to Jack?"

"It's okay, Bunny…" Jack's voice was faint but there. "He just decided we needed a matching pair of…bracelets." The joke was feeble but made Bunny feel slightly better. If Jack could still crack a joke then he was at least somewhat okay.

"Hang in there, Frostbite," Bunny assured him.

"Touching as this is, I'm done with the pleasantries, Aster," Pitch drawled. "Are you ready to continue or shall I just assume your first answer is incorrect?"

Bunny rearranged himself to be a little more comfortable. "Fine, I'm ready."

"Number nine—"

"—Wait!" Jack called out. "What…what game are you talking about? What deal?"

There was a beat of silence and then Pitch spoke up, "Oh yes, we should inform Jack of our game, shouldn't we, Bunny? Care to do the honors, or will I?"

Bunny frowned. He did not want Jack to know about the deal, not because he regretted it, but it was…embarrassing. He didn't want Jack to know how much he had failed him in these last few days, how badly he was at guessing his fears. On the other hand, he didn't really have the right to deny Jack that knowledge.

"I guess it will be me," Pitch said when he didn't reply right away. When he spoke next he had moved over so that he was much closer to where Jack's voice had carried. "Bunny and I were having an interesting discussion about your nightmares and your fears, Jack."

Bunny jerked forward, images of Pitch standing painfully close to the boy flashing through his mind. The clang of his chains rang across the room.

"We struck a deal that if Bunny could guess your fears correctly, I would leave you alone for—what was it?" His voice grew louder, suggesting he was now facing Bunny again. "For six hours. One right answer, six hours of nightmare-free rest. I'm sure you are aware of the results of the first eight questions I have asked him."

Bunny had no idea what face Jack was making but he found his own turning towards the ground. He wanted to apologize to the kid, but that would have to wait for later. He didn't want Pitch to gain any satisfaction from his failure.

"So now we begin round four. I will name a fear and he will tell me if it is one of your past fears, present fears, or if it was never a fear of yours," Pitch finished explaining. "Any questions?"

"Yeah," Jack rasped. "What did you do to me? What kind of nightmares are these? They're not normal, right?"

"All in good time, Jack Frost," Pitch replied smoothly. "But first, we need to decide how the next six hours will go." There was a rushing sound and Pitch spoke again, his voice much closer to Bunny now.

"Are you ready?"

"Just waiting on you," Bunny snarked back, sounding braver than he felt. He knew he had no way out of this, but he also feared what would happen if he guessed the next question wrong. Jack was right there. What would Pitch do?

"Number nine: fear of fire," Pitch announced. Bunny lowered his head in concentration, but before he could ponder the question Jack spoke up, bringing his attention back upwards.

"Fire? I—" his voice was abruptly muffled.

"Now now," Pitch said, his tone seemingly calm but Bunny could hear the warning in it. "No spoiling the answer. Bunny has to _guess_." He paused and then prompted, "Bunny…?"

"Give me a moment," Bunny replied gruffly. "Lemme think."

Fear of fire. It would make sense for Jack to be afraid of something that was the opposite of his powers—fire and ice, heat and cold—but Bunny now knew better than to assume. Jack was apparently afraid of bodies of water and that made zero sense to Bunny considering his element and the lake in Burgess he seemed to love so much, but he did. He couldn't just apply his logic; he had to think about _Jack's_.

What had he seen with Jack and fire? He always skirted around the fireplaces at North's—but was that because he was scared or just normal precaution? Bunny had always assumed he kept a distance because of his sensitivity to heat; it was the reason Jack claimed when he sat in the seat furthest away from the hearth. He couldn't remember Jack showing any of his usual signs of anxiety or lying when he did that, just general dislike, so maybe it wasn't a present fear…

"We're both waiting," Pitch interrupted his thoughts. "Are you giving up?"

Bunny scowled in the direction of his voice. "'Course not! Just thinking it through!"

"Then it would seem Jack's presence has made a difference."

Bunny growled at the smug tone but forced his attention back to the question. If it wasn't present then it was past or never, but which one? He was leaning towards never; if Jack wasn't afraid of fire now then he didn't think he could have been before. But… what if this was like some of the other questions? He would guess and then Pitch would laugh, mocking him for not knowing some detail of Jack's past. Dropping hints of some story he knew that Bunny did not. What if Jack used to fear it but had gotten over it? What if the distance he kept from the fires was from an old fear?

"I'm losing patience…"

Bunny grimaced but made his guess. "Past."

Pitch let out a quiet chuckle.

"Wrong."


End file.
